Spike Jonze

Throughout his varied career, Spike Jonze quickly established himself as a director whose remarkable vision and prolific output led to creating some of the most memorable films and music videos of his...
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Lena Dunham sells her dress at charity gala in New York

By:
WENN.com
Oct 10, 2014

Lena Dunham raised $3,000 (£1,875) for charity by auctioning off the dress she was wearing at a gala in New York City on Wednesday night (08Oct14). The Girls star and director Spike Jonze co-hosted the Lowline Anti-Gala at Manhattan's Skylight Modern venue, and she brought in extra cash for the city's first underground park by auctioning off the frock she wore to the event.
Dunham helped design the dress along with Rachel Antonoff, her boyfriend Jack Antonoff's sister, and the gown, decorated with a print of the park project, sold for $3,000, according to Vogue.com.
The actress/writer says of the Lowline scheme, "As a kid, I hated going to the park... That's part of why I want to see the Lowline come to fruition so badly... I grew up in SoHo, and our local playground was full of bullies and dog poop, always a line for a broken swing. As downtown kids, our safe outdoor spaces were few and far between - it was before the West Side Highway had been done up all fancy, so a rare trip to Central or Prospect Park was my only experience of the magic of public green spaces."
Jack Antonoff performed at the event with his band Bleachers.

Actors including Catherine Keener, Elle Fanning and Bobby Cannavale took to the stage for a one-act play as part of the Opening Ceremony brand's New York Fashion Week runway show on Sunday (07Sep14). The fashion house's founders and creative directors Carol Lim and Humberto Leon showcased their spring 2015 collection at a unique venue and invited celebrities and style mavens alike to the iconic Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center.
Guests were escorted through the back of the theatre and ushered to their seats, which were placed on the same stage as the performers in the hour-long play starring Fanning, who was making her stage debut, Keener, Cannavale, Alia Shawkat, John Cameron Mitchell, Rashida Jones, and models Dree Hemingway and Karlie Kloss.
Titled 100% Lost Cotton, the production featured model characters played by Fanning and Hemingway waiting for a fitting at an Opening Ceremony runway show. Mitchell and Keener played versions of designers Lim and Leon, while Cannavale served as a stylist secretly in love with Leon's husband.
100% Lost Cotton was written by filmmaker Spike Jonze and actor Jonah Hill, who jokingly reminded the audience before the show began that it was his first foray into the theatre.
Among the guests checking out the one-of-a-kind runway show was Fanning's older sister Dakota, Yoko Ono, Rosario Dawson, Chloe Sevigny, Skrillex, Joe Jonas, Alexa Chung, Mindy Kaling and Arcade Fire's Win Butler.

Former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne surprised concert-goers at Arcade Fire's gig in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday (24Aug14) by dressing up as Dracula to perform a spooky collaboration.
The Canadian rockers have been paying tribute to the Big Apple's punk scene at each of their shows at the Barclays Center, inviting New York Dolls' David Johansen to appear as his quirky alter ego Buster Poindexter and perform his catchy 1987 hit Hot Hot Hot during Friday's set (22Aug14), and introducing Marky Ramone to the stage on Saturday (23Aug14) for renditions of the Ramones tracks I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement and I Wanna Be Sedated.
Arcade Fire, who are known for dressing up onstage, continued the trend on Sunday as they closed out their three-night residency, with frequent collaborator Byrne joining in the fun by donning white face paint and red lipstick and wearing a tuxedo to belt out a cover of Suicide's 1979 release Dream Baby Dream.
He wasn't the only famous face to make an appearance at the show - director Spike Jonze, who has also previously worked with Arcade Fire, wore a giant papier-mache model of frontman Will Butler's head and crowdsurfed during the song Normal Person.

Actor Jonah Hill is teaming up with filmmaker Spike Jonze to pen a one-act play for New York Fashion Week. The pair has been recruited by label bosses at Opening Ceremony to come up with a short production which will be staged instead of the company's traditional runway show in September (14).
Opening Ceremony co-founder Humberto Leon reveals the idea was all Jonze's.
He tells WWD.com, "We were really excited about him writing an original script and seeing how this would take shape."
Moneyball star Hill will not act in the show, which is scheduled for 7 September (14).
Jonze has previously collaborated with Opening Ceremony designers to create capsule collections to accompany his films Where The Wild Things Are and Her.

Getty Images
HBO is really building up the anticipation for the 2015 premiere of the fourth season of Girls. As if we weren't all already curious about what Hannah, Marnie, Jessa, and the incomparable Shosh have been up to, we have a host of special guest stars to look forward to.
Natasha Lyonne, Gillian Jacobs, Zachary Quinto, Jason Ritter, Marc Maron and Judd Apatow’s daughter Maude have been announced, and now Oscar-winning director Spike Jonze is on board. This is pretty incredible.
So far there are no specific details about his role, but he'll star in four episodes and his character is a fellow named Marcos.
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Warner Bros Pictures
Sandra Bullock's space thriller Gravity added to its trophy haul on Thursday (26Jun14) by winning five prizes at the annual Saturn Awards. The blockbuster was named Best Science Fiction Film, Bullock picked up Best Actress and Alfonso Cuaron was named Best Director, while the movie also took prizes in the editing and special/visual effects categories.
Spike Jonze's Her was also a top winner, taking Best Fantasy Film, Best Writing, and Best Supporting Actress for Scarlett Johansson.
Iron Man 3 was named Best Comic-to-film Motion Picture, while its stars Robert Downey, Jr. and Sir Ben Kingsley were hailed as Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor respectively.
In the TV categories, Hannibal and Revolution tied for the Best Network Television Series Release award. Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen was named best TV actor and best TV actress went to Vera Farmiga for Bates Motel.
Supporting trophies went to Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) and Melissa McBride (The Walking Dead).
Malcolm McDowell was honoured with a lifetime achievement award in recognition of his five-decade career in Hollywood.
The annual ceremony celebrates the best of science fiction, fantasy and horror films.

Director Judd Apatow is compiling his best celebrity interviews over the years for a new comedy book. The Knocked Up filmmaker began recording his chats with his comedy idols and colleagues at the age of 16, when he hosted a high school radio show, and he has continued to document his interviews with the likes of Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Chris Rock, director Spike Jonze, and his Girls star Lena Dunham.
The discussions will now feature in a new book titled Sick in the Head, which will be published by executives at Random House.
Proceeds from the 2015 release will benefit 826LA, a non-profit organisation which aims to teach young students the art of creative writing, according to The New York Times.
Apatow is no stranger to the publishing world - he previously put together I Found This Funny, a 2011 collection of humorous articles he had edited.

CBS
Proving that there’s nothing Hollywood won’t reboot if given then chance, a new Scooby Doo movie is reportedly in the works at Warner Bros. According to Variety, the studio is looking to send Scooby, Shaggy, and the gang on another spooky adventure, which will be written by Randall Green. The news comes just a year after Warner Bros. also announced plans for an animated Scooby Doo movie, which is reportedly still on track. Though the last live-action Mystery Gang outings, 2002’s Scooby Doo and its sequel Monsters Unleashed, did well commercially, they weren’t received well by critics and fans of the series, which is why it’s surprising that Warner Bros. would be so intent at taking a third shot at big-screen adventure. After all, the live-action Scooby Doo’s were only slightly better than Yogi Bear. There are plenty of other great classic Hanna-Barbera properties that would make for great films, so why does Scooby get a third shot at big screen success? Think about all of the possibilities that are open…
Wacky Races Concept: Think The Lego Movie meets Speed Racer, with a touch of Mega Mind thrown in. Plot: Set at the Wacky Races Grand Prix, a sprawling, dangerous race that spans three days and covers a variety of terrains, the film charts the highs and lows of all your favorite racers, from Penelope Pitstop to the Ant Hill Mob to the Gruesome Twosome, and sees Dick Dastardly’s desperate attempts to finally experience the glory for himself. Starring: Charlie Day as Dick Dastardly, Isla Fisher as Penelope Pitstop, Bill Hader as Clyde the leader of the Ant Hill Mob, Amy Poheler as the Red Max, and Tom Hanks as the Narrator. Directed By: Edgar Wright.
Inch High, Private Eye Concept: The Maltese Falcon meets Osmosis Jones.Plot: The city is being terrorized by a robber who keeps stealing priceless works of art and jewels from museums and homes. The police are understaffed, and the detectives are at their wits’ ends, and the case has reached a dead end. Then, Mrs. Gotrocks hires Inch High, Private Eye, the most brilliant and tortured detective around to look into the case. But she might not like what he finds… Casting: Casey Affleck as Inch High, Kate Mara as Lori, Josh Brolin as Gator, Tommy Lee Jones as Mr. Finkerton and June Squibb as Mrs. Gotrocks. Directed By: The Coen Brothers.
ABC
Hong Kong Phooey Concept: Think 22 Jump Street, but sillier. Plot: Penry Pooch has always wanted to be a cop, but his enthusiasm for the job doesn’t quite balance out his complete incompetence. After failing out of the police academy, he takes a job working as a janitor under the watchful eye of the constantly frustrated Sergeant. One night, when he’s the only one at the precinct, he stops and apprehends a robber, which inspires him to take up crime fighting as Hong Kong Phooey. Luckily, he’s got Spot to help him out of whatever jams he finds himself in. Casting: Will Arnett as Penry, Keith David as Sarge, Anna Kendrick as Rosemary, the telephone operator, and Nick Frost as Spot. Directed By: Shane Black.
The Jetsons Concept: August: Osage County in space. Plot: George Jetson is an ordinary man, living an ordinary life. He loves his family, endures his job and spends his time relaxing with his dog, Astro. But when he catches his wife having an affair with his boss, his world comes crashing down around him, and he’s forced to re-evaluate everything he knew about his life, and decide whether to move forward or move on. Starring: Joaquin Phoenix as George, Sandra Bullock as Jane, Hailee Steinfeld as Judy, and Steve Buscemi as Mr. Spacely, with Art Parksinson as Elroy and Scarlett Johansson as Rosie. Directed By: Spike Jonze.
ABC
JabberJaw Concept: Almost Famous meets Jaws, with a dash of Star Trek .Plot: The Neptunes were on their way to becoming the hottest rock band under the seas, until their drummer abruptly left. Then, they discovered Jabberjaw, a 15-foot-tall shark with the skills of Keith Moon, and it seemed like they had it made. But the path to rock stardom is paved with dangers and it’s time for the Neptunes to face them. Starring: Chris Pratt as Jabberjaw, Adam Levine as Clamhead, Malin Ackerman as Bubbles, Zoe Kravitz as Shelly, and Oscar Isaac as Biff. Directed By: John Carney.
Quick Draw McGraw Concept: A better homage to Blazing Saddles than A Million Ways to Die in the West .Plot: The Wild West is a dangerous place, thanks to outlaws, frequent dueling and a lack of modern medicine, but one man is there to keep order in place, and uphold justice where ever he goes… Sherrif Quick Draw McGraw. Unfortunately, he might have finally met his match when the deadliest outlaw in the west rides into his town. Starring: Damon Wayans Jr. as Quick Draw McGraw and Fred Armisen as Baba Looey.Directed By: Mel Brooks, in an ideal world.
CBS
Space Ghost Concept: It’s basically Guardians of the Galaxy, but with a monkey instead of a raccoon. Plot: After Zorak, Space Ghosts’ nemesis, escapes from prison, he recruits Black Widow (no, not that Black Widow) and Brak and Sisto in order to form a league of villains that will take over the galaxy and allow chaos to reign, but in order to do so, they need a gauntlet of power, one that only Space Ghost’s sidekick Jace possesses. Can Space Ghost and Jan rescue him and save the universe before it’s too late? Starring: Channing Tatum as Space Ghost, Emma Stone as Jan, Miles Teller as Jace, Idris Elba as Zorak, Dwayne Johnson as Brak, Jason Statham as Sisto, and Nicole Beharie as Black Widow (see, told you she was different!).Directed By: Joss Whedon, of course.
Top Cat Concept: Dancing on the Edge meets GoodFellas.Plot: Set in the 1940s, a group of rag-tag musicians are groomed to become a proper jazz sensation. But in order to do so, they’ll have to overcome prejudice, corrupt managers, in-fighting, and substance abuse and stick by each other through everything. Starring: Anthony Mackie as TC, Lamorne Morris as Brain, Albert Tsai as Choo-Choo, Michael B. Jordan as Fancy-Fancy, Josh Gad as Benny the Ball, Ruth Negga as Trixie, and Sean Penn as Officer Dibble.Directed By: Martin Scorsese.
You're welcome, Hollywood.
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Splash News
Rapper Kanye West is reportedly heading back to France to hit the stage as a guest speaker at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
The outspoken Touch The Sky hitmaker, who celebrated his wedding to reality star Kim Kardashian in Paris last month (May14), has been tapped as a surprise addition to the line up for the advertising seminar Technology, Culture and Consumer Adoption: Learning to Read the Cultural Landscape, which will take place on Tuesday (17Jun14), according to the New York Post.
West, who has been vocal about his passion to push the boundaries of art, fashion and technology in everything he does, will discuss the links between digital advances and cultural evolution alongside former music executive Steve Stoute and financier Ben Horowitz, co-founder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.
The musician won't be the only celebrity speaker at the annual event - former Baywatch star David Hasselhoff helped to kick off the 2014 Cannes Lions on Sunday (15Jun14) by delivering a speech about brand relevance at the very first seminar of the festival, while actress Sarah Jessica Parker and director Spike Jonze have also taken part in talks.

Warner Bros. via Everett Collection
In the past year, we’ve seen many sci-fi films flop at the box office and in reviews. Most recently, Transcendence underwhelmed critics, science fiction buffs, and casual moviegoers alike. Though it may have looked like a gripping sci-fi thriller from the trailers, it ultimately tried to set up overarching themes and ideas that the film never fully accomplished.However, Transcendence isn’t the only film in the past year to disappoint sci-fi genre fans.
Science fiction releases from 2013 like After Earth, Oblivion, and Elysium failed to impress audiences and critics in the same way as the superhero box office homeruns like Man of Steel and Iron Man 3. So, can Hollywood sci-fi keep up with the burgeoning superhero genre?
Short answer: yes, but it’s becoming harder and harder.
There were, of course, highly successful science fiction films of 2013: Alfonso Cuarón’s Academy Award-winning Gravity, Spike Jonze’s Academy Award-winning Her, and Guillermo del Toro’s huge box office hit (if we're talking international numbers as opposed to domestic) Pacific Rim. These movies proved that the science fiction genre is not, by all means, dead. That being said, though, fans of sci-fi are starved for originality within the genre.
When Transcendence first debuted in theaters, it was likened to Her, as well as other, older films that featured artificial intelligence. Similarly, last year when After Earth, Oblivion, and Elysium premiered, they were also compared to older science fiction films as well as to one another. At this point, it’s almost impossible to look at a sci-fi movie and not question, “Wasn’t this a Twilight Zone episode?”
Gravity, Her, and Pacific Rim were successful because they had an original take on a genre that has been around for a long, long time. As this past year and a half has proven, fans may turn out for science fiction movies, but they also have higher expectations for the genre.
Hollywood cannot churn out any old movie about artificial intelligence and expect fans to flock to the theaters. We’ve seen far too many films with the same basic plot that unless the filmmakers innovate the idea enough, viewers will feel as if they’ve already seen the movie. However, as long as directors like del Toro, Jonze, and Cuarón continue to have fresh ideas, sci-fi films are not going anywhere.
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Began shooting photos for the publications BMX Action and the short-lived Homeboy

Made directorial debut with "Being John Malkovich" starring John Cusack and Cameron Diaz; scripted by Charlie Kaufman; nominated for a Best Director Academy Award and received a nomination from the Directors Guild of America

Re-teamed with Knoxville to produce "Jackass: Number Two"

Directed the high school prom-set video for Puff Daddy's "It's All About the Benjamins (Rock Remix)"

Re-teamed with the Beastie Boys to direct "Sure Shot"

Raised in Bethesda, Maryland

Co-starred with George Clooney, Ice Cube and Mark Wahlberg in David O Russell's adventure film "Three Kings"

Produced the directorial debut of Charlie Kaufman, "Synecdoche, New York"

Directed a 13-minute documentary about US presidential candidate Al Gore for the Democratic National Convention (was not available for broadcast until 2006)

With Roman Coppola and Dewey Hicks, directed segments of the short-lived lifestyle series "Hi-Octane" (Comedy Central)

Music video debut, co-directed Sonic Youth's "100%" with Tamra Davis

While in high school, met Andy Jenkins and Mark Lewman, publishers of Freestylin', a popular BMX magazine

Produced "Jackass: The Movie" with Johnny Knoxville; also credited as writer

Was the cinematographer (with Roman Coppola) for "Bed, Bath and Beyond," a comedy short co-directed by Ione Skye, Sofia Coppola, and Andrew Durham

Created the frenetic main title sequence for the short lived CBS sitcom "Double Rush"

Signed a first-look develpoment and production deal with Propaganda Films for features and TV

Debuted his fourth feature, "Her"

Summary

Throughout his varied career, Spike Jonze quickly established himself as a director whose remarkable vision and prolific output led to creating some of the most memorable films and music videos of his day. Jonze started off as a music video director credited with popular takes on the Beastie Boy's "Sabotage" (1994) and Weezer's "Buddy Holly" (1994), which deftly incorporated a "Happy Days" theme and actual show footage. While keeping his feet firmly planted in the music video world, he ventured into feature films; first as an actor in "The Game" (1997) and "Three Kings" (1999), then as a director with the strikingly original "Being John Malkovich" (1999), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Director. Taking a turn toward the outrageous, he helped create the cult favorite, "Jackass" (MTV, 2000-02), which earned public condemnation for its depiction of dangerous, but hilarious stunts. Returning to narrative filmmaking, Jonze helmed the inspired "Adaptation" (2002), a wildly original, offbeat and entertaining dramedy that confirmed Jonze as a truly visionary filmmaker worthy of the highest accolades.

Worked together on "Synecdoche, New York" (2008); Began dating in spring 2008; Confirmed split in September 2009

Education

Name

Walt Whitman High School

Notes

Director Tamra Davis on the possibility of Jonze going Hollywood: "With him there's the Adam Spiegel side, the businessman, and then there's the Spike side. When Adam Spiegel says make a movie, Spike will probably do it." - quoted in Details magazine, March 1995

"I just told the crew that this was my fourth movie and they were more comfortable." - Jonze on why things went smoothly on his debut feature "Being John Malkovich" to Rolling Stone magazine, Aug. 19, 1999